Identifying needs and testing solutions for people with hearing loss in low-and middle-income countries

This intervention focused on the use of pre-programmed hearing aids for individuals with hearing loss in low- and middle-income countries. Research was conducted to understand the hearing profiles and characteristics of clinical samples across these countries, and to compare the effectiveness of pre-programmable hearing aids with conventionally customized hearing aids.

The findings showed that pre-programmable hearing aids can be effective for individuals with mild to moderately severe hearing loss, but those with more severe hearing loss may require conventional fitting or manual communication programmes. While pre-programmable hearing aids may not be as effective as conventionally customized aids for all individuals, they are a highly scalable and accessible option for hearing rehabilitation in low- and middle-income countries.